The invention relates generally to an enhanced performance connector and in particular to a telecommunications plug having internal shielding to reduce crosstalk. Improvements in telecommunications systems have resulted in the ability to transmit voice and/or data signals along transmission lines at increasingly higher frequencies. Several industry standards that specify multiple performance levels of twisted-pair cabling components have been established. The primary references, considered by many to be the international benchmarks for commercially based telecommunications components and installations, are standards ANSI/TIA/EIA-568-A (/568) Commercial Building Telecommunications Cabling Standard and 150/IEC 11801 (/11801), generic cabling for customer premises. For example, Category 3, 4 and 5 cable and connecting hardware are specified in both /568 and /11801, as well as other national and regional specifications. In these specifications, transmission requirements for Category 3 components are specified up to 16 MHZ. Transmission requirements for Category 4 components are specified up to 20 MHZ. Transmission requirements for Category 5 components are specified up to 100 MHZ. New standards are being developed continuously and currently it is expected that future standards will require transmission requirements of at least 600 MHZ.
The above referenced transmission requirements also specify limits on near-end crosstalk (NEXT). Often, telecommunications connectors are organized in sets of pairs, typically made up of a tip and ring connector. As telecommunications connectors are reduced in size, adjacent pairs are placed closer to each other creating crosstalk between adjacent pairs. To comply with the near-end crosstalk requirements, a variety of techniques are used in the art. While there exist plugs, outlets and connecting blocks designed to reduce crosstalk and enhance performance, it is understood in the art that improved plugs, and outlets and connecting blocks are needed to meet increasing transmission rates.
The above-discussed and other drawbacks and deficiencies of the prior art are overcome or alleviated by the enhanced performance connector of the present invention. An exemplary embodiment of the invention is a telecommunications plug for use with a cable having a plurality of wires arranged in a plurality of pairs. The telecommunications plug includes a housing and a load bar positioned within the housing. The load bar positions wires relative to each other in the housing. An isolator is positioned in the housing and is conductive for isolating a first pair of wires from a second pair of wires.